Lila F. Roberts

As instructors, we use a variety of tools to make mathematical concepts real and
meaningful to our students. Even in laboratory classes or classroom environments in
which cooperative learning activities are prevalent, the instructor plays an important role
as facilitator of learning. Demos with Positive Impact is an NSF project to develop a
web-based collection of effective instructional demonstrations and to connect this
resource to mathematics instructors. In this presentation, we showcase some of the
demos and invite participation from our colleagues.

As a demo, we have in mind a vignette incorporated within a classroom presentation that
engages the learner on a level in addition to the dialog of the instructor. Demos provide a
description or explanation of an idea, concept, or process, illustrated with some form of
instructional technology such as computer software for computation or visualization,
graphing calculator, physical object or prop, or data collection apparatus. In contrast to
lab activities or projects, these vignettes are designed to be presented by the instructor.

Every experienced mathematics instructor has a private toolbox of demos that have been
effective in the classroom. Demos with Positive Impact, funded by an NSF proof-of-
concept grant, focuses on collecting, developing, and disseminating these valuable tools
to our colleagues across the country. The scope of the project is broad, encompassing
topics from college preparatory mathematics to post-calculus mathematics. Demos with
Positive Impact is a resource for instructors who are looking for ideas or demos that are
adaptable for various teaching styles and learning environments; it is useful for high
school and college mathematics instructors.

The success of Demos with Positive Impact depends on tapping into a largely
unharvested resource: our colleagues' collective experiences in mathematics teaching. In
this presentation we will showcase some of the demos in the collection and invite
participation from our colleagues. We will provide details on how instructors may
participate as contributors and as end-users.